***
I wake up to light streaming through the curtains. I sit up a little too quickly getting seriously light headed. I try to configure my surroundings as I hear voices from outside the room.
"Mr Newman, you don't understand" Alexa pleas with our supervisor for the next two weeks.
"I understand it perfectly. Miss Allcroft broke the rules set in place and she must be punished." Newbie says as I watch the door handle jiggle. I look around to see Cameron fast asleep on the bed next to me. Jack and Isaac are asleep in each others arms.
"She was feeling homesick" Alexa says confidently. She's a really good liar. "She spends every second of everyday with Isaac sir, don't you have siblings of your own?"
"She has 7 brothers and she's come here to have no one" Sawyer backs up Alexa's story. I jump off the bed and tiptoe over to my brother. I lift his arm and lie next to him, closing my arm just in time for the door to open.
"See?" Alexa says quietly. "No funny business going on here."
"Wake up. Breakfast is in 10 minutes." Newbie's voice booms through the room. The boys wake up startled so I follow suit. "Luna. To your designated room. Now" He says sternly. Isaac looks at me confused but doesn't say a word. I get up and run into my room, closely followed by my two female roommates.
"What the hell just happened?" I exclaim. "Why did I wake up practically on top of Cameron? And why were you two not in the room with me?"
"I can explain" Alexa says as I start to brush my hair out. Breakfast is in 10 minutes and I can't afford to lose a second of it. "Last night, you fell asleep pretty early when you were talking to Cameron. You looked so peaceful that we didn't want to wake you, plus Isaac said he'd look after you. We didn't realise until Newbie stormed into the room at the crack of dawn that you never came back."
"So we made up some story about you and Isaac being inseparable." Sawyer adds.
"I heard that bit" I shrug. "And trust me, I can go one night without having my brother by my side."
"So that's why you mysteriously ended up between your brother and your best friend"
"Well yeah" I say, not needing to give any further explanation. "Thanks you guys" I smile pulling them both into a hug. Once you get past the fake exterior, Alexa is actually a really nice girl. I just wish we'd become friends sooner. It feels kind of nice not having to watch my back all the time.
"You're welcome, now go get ready. First day on the slopes starts now." Sawyer smiles. She's a pretty good skier, I mean 12 years in Minnesota must count for something right?
I sit down at the table as I wait for my friends to meet me. They're all getting food but considering I don't have much of an appetite- living with 7 boys does that to a girl- I didn't take long to decide on this over ripened apple that sits on my paper plate.
"Hey Luna eclipse" Jack says sitting down next to me. He squeezes my thigh giving a warm smile before tucking into one of his 5 bowls of cereal that line his tray.
"Got enough to eat there?" I say with a laugh. I look down at my empty plate, I'm pretty sure something inside my apple just moved. I grab it and toss it in the trash over my shoulder not needing to look- that's the NBA basketball coaching coming through.
"I'm a growing boy" he shrugs. "You want some?" He says frowning at my plate.
"Nah I'm good"
"You can't not eat Lu- it's unhealthy."
"I'm not hungry okay?"
"Is this because I just called you Luna Eclipse? I know you hate it and I'm sorry, it just slipped out." He sighs, dropping his spoon and looking straight at me.
